We are proud to say that the L&T range of Compactors are an example of ‘Made in India’ effort – 100% designed in-house.

– Jaikumar Kamath

L&T Construction and Mining Machinery

What is the current market size (demand – supply scenario) for compaction equipment? 

With continued impetus on Infrastructure development, all sectors like Roads, Irrigation, Power, Airports, Railways, Ports, Realty and Metros are showing robust signs of growth. The investment envisaged by the year 2026 is 10% of the GDP, i.e. around Rs 14 Lakh Crores will be spent on Infrastructure development. The focus of the Government is evident from the announcements made for the National Infrastructure Pipeline, Gati Shakti etc. Finance is also being made available through various means including National Monetisation Plan. Union Minister for Roads, Highways & Ports, Nitin Gadkari, has revised the daily target to achieve 40 Km of Road Construction, which the entire industry is striving hard to achieve.

The demand for the Road Equipment has been subdued consecutively for 2 years, since the pandemic hit us. In fact, demand for road equipment contracted this financial year compared to the corresponding period last year by about 25%. But we expect it to soon bounce back to the pre-Covid levels, with several projects on the anvil. NHAI has awarded many contracts for highway construction which will support the demand. Besides road projects, Compactors are deployed at irrigation sites, railway projects, metro projects and smart cities. The speed of the execution will be the key to drive the demand most of the time.

How do you assess the growth potential of compaction equipment in India? 

ICEMA, in its Vision Report published last year, predicted a two-fold increase in volumes for Compaction Equipment by 2030. With government’s thrust on the Roads & Infrastructure Development, we expect the growth potential for the Compaction Equipment to touch a new high. The report predicts India to become an export hub. This will make India the 2nd largest Construction Equipment market in the world by 2030. We are already the third largest construction and earthmoving equipment manufacturer in the world.

What are the unique features in your range of compaction equipment in terms of technology? 

We are proud to say that the L&T range of Compactors are an example of ‘Made in India’ effort – 100% designed in-house, with 95% indigenous content and a step towards fulfilling the ‘Atmanibhar Bharat’ mission. Our design team continuously incorporates user feedback to improve performance.  The Soil Compactor L&T 1190 has been optimized to give the most optimal fuel consumption. The Soil Compactor at 30mm thick drum is the heaviest in its range, ensuring better compaction. The service access to all the refill points is from the ground level. The Tandem Compactor L&T 990 HF-I with high frequency of 55 Htz helps in a smoother road finish. This is an improved variant introduced after incorporating customer feedback. The machine has a unique suspended frame design and allows compaction very close to the kerb. The Tandem Compactor has a rotatable operator console, which helps the operator get a very clear view of the drum edges. The engine compartment is housed in a separate compartment, which makes it very easy to access. Both the drum surfaces are visible from the operator seat in the L&T 990 HF-I Tandem Compactor.

The Pneumatic Tyred Roller, 2490 HD is a machine with 4 smooth tyres in the Front and 4 smooth tyres in the Rear (4 X 4 combination). The machine is designed with a unique rotatable operator console so the operator can get the view of the road edge with ease. On the L&T 491 Mini Compactor, there is an excellent all-round view for the operator. The machine is highly popular with the customers due to its variety of applications.

The CEV-4 norms were notified for Construction Equipment which are required to be road registered. Accordingly, we have upgraded all our compactors to make them CEV-IV compliant. This has also been done by our engineers in-house. Depending on the Engine HP, the CO (Carbon Monoxide), NOx (Nitrogen Monoxide), Particulate Matter and HC (Hydrocarbon) contents are required to be within a specified range. This is done to ensure that the pollutants which are released in the environment are kept to a bare minimum. This has necessitated a lot of R&D efforts to be put in to develop the engine. The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of  the engine controls the engine functions and exhaust is passed through a EGR, Exhaust Gas Recirculation, there is DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst), there is DEF (Diesel exhaust Fluid) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to achieve the emission norms. The ECU of the engine helps in controlling the parameters to ensure optimal fuel injection and performance. The CEV-4 compliant engines flashes error codes on the dashboard to give early warning to help troubleshoot any issues. The CEV-4 emission norms require addition of the Adblue for the engine which is used to ensure that the exhaust emissions meet the standards. The manufacturer guidelines with regard to the handling of the Adblue and fuels need to be meticulously followed as the engine sensors will detect abnormalities and show error codes, if contamination of fuel is detected.  At L&T, the entire range of Road Machinery and the Wheel Loaders have been upgraded to CEV-4 and are very well accepted in the market.

What are the key maintenance practices to be followed for the upkeep of compaction equipment?

The key maintenance practices for Compaction Equipment get broadly covered into daily routine maintenance and preventive maintenance. Daily maintenance is carried out by following a check-list which manufacturers provide with the equipment. The daily maintenance includes checking the oil fill levels, a general walk-around the machine to spot any visible irregularity, checking of the air pressure in the tyres and lubrication of the bearings.  Preventive maintenance covers the scheduled maintenance services which need to be carried out as per the recommended schedules. These preventive maintenance practices are carried out by L&T Dealers. Carrying out the scheduled services on time is vital to ensure high uptime of the machine. The Compactor hydraulic circuit is a Closed Loop System, wherein the hydraulic system is prone to contamination if service schedules for timely change of oil and filters get neglected.

What kind of after-sales services and solutions have been offered by you in terms of quality of products as well as to add brand value?

The after-sales service extended by L&T encompasses a mix of Dealer Network and strategically-positioned company service team. The service technicians at the dealerships undergo a well-structured and intense hands-on training programme and are competent to handle any after-sales issues on the machines. We have six  Service Centres across India, at Bahadurgarh, Kanchipuram, Pune, Durgapur, Singrauli and Nagpur. These are fully equipped to undertake the overhaul of major components and thus reducing the lifecycle costs of the machines. Annual Maintenance Contracts are offered by the dealers and are increasingly finding acceptance with the customers.

L&T operates the Toll-Free Number – EquipCare 18008339990 wherein customers call to register service requests. This helps in measuring the service response levels and improving on them. EquipCare has become very effective and provides unmatched after-sales support and exceptional experience to customers of Construction Equipment.

This year, L&T is celebrating the 75 year of its existence in the Construction and Earthmoving Industry in India and has cumulatively supplied over 75,000 units of equipment. L&T distributes Komatsu Hydraulic Excavators, Graders, Dozers and Wheel Loaders for various applications across the country. L&T also represents Scania for the Tipper Trucks and Sandvik for its range of Rock Breakers, Breaker Booms and Demolition Tools. In addition, L&T markets a whole range of indigenously designed and developed Compactors, Wheel Loaders, Pavers and Skid Steer Loaders. L&T Construction Equipment Limited offers special attachments such as Crusher Buckets, Slope Compactors and Rock Splitters. This varied offering makes it easy for the customers to engage with a single organization which can offer varied products under a single umbrella.

What are the challenges and possible new avenues in the compaction equipment segment? 

The steep input costs due to increase in the commodity prices is a major challenge for the Compaction Equipment. This is due to price increase of steel, diesel, oils and migration to CEV-4 emission. Consequently, manufacturers had no option but to pass on the input cost increase to the end customer to some extent.

L&T has introduced the indigenously-designed Pneumatic Tyred Rollers (PTR), L&T 2490, which have performed exceedingly well. PTR usage is likely to penetrate further as the life of bitumen carpet increases substantially and road contractors begin to appreciate its role in road construction. The pinhole count on the surface reduces by almost 50% when a PTR is used for sealing the surface.

Further, the usage of Compaction Meters is gaining acceptance on Compactors. It is presently offered on its range of Soil Compactors as an optional fitment. Intelligent Compaction System is also offered on the Tandem Compactors as an optional fitment. L&T also rolls out equipment fitted with L&T DigiEye, vehicle health monitoring apparatus, as an option across its range of machines.

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